Refrigerating apparatus



April 14, 1931. G, MUFFLY 1,800,953

RFRIGERATING APPARATUS Fild NOV. 12, 1927 fll fmfwg @htm/mu Patented Apr. 14, 1931 GLENN MUFFLY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN,

ASSIGNOR T COPEI'AND PRODUCTS INC.,

A CORPORATION or MICHIGAN REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Application filed November 12,` 1927. Serial No. 232,725.

This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and particularly to the mechanical compression type thereof, they principal object being the provision of a new and novel assembly for various parts thereof.

Another object is to provide a refrigerating apparatus for refrigerators of the household type wherein certain parts of the apparatus may be removed as a unit from the refrigerator cabinet to allow the same to be tested for leaks or otherwise serviced.

A further object is to provide an assembly for the various units of refrigerating mechanism comprising a ymain base to which the driving motor is secured, an auxiliary base removably secured to the main base and supporting a compressor, a condenser and a receiver thereon, the auxiliary base and the parts supported on the same being removable as a unit from the main base, the main base and the auxiliary base with the parts supported thereon also being removable from the refrigerator cabinet as a unit.

The above being among the objects of the present invention the same consists of certain features of construction and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawing, and then claimed, having the above and other objects in view.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates a suitable embodiment of the present invention and in which like numerals referred to like parts throughout the several different views,

Fig. l is a horizontal sectional view through a refrigerator cabinet showing the various parts of a mechanical refrigcrating apparatus `positioned in the bottom thereof.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Y

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

In refrigerating apparatus of the mechanical compression type it is a common occurrenee to find that the refrigerant circulating system has developed a leak from one cause or another, and in some instances it is rather difficult to locate the same. Because of the corrosive action of some types of refrigerant used in such systems itis advisable that the connections between the various parts of the circulating system be left undisturbed as much as possible because when once' broken, such connections7 if they have been at all attacked by the refrigerant, offer difficulties to again providing a leak tight joint.

In all conventional constructions, as far as I am aware, in order to discover ,a leak in the same which is not readily apparent, it is necessary to remove the various parts and test every one separately in order to discover a leak in the system. `This is not only a tedious operation but also necessitates the breaking of the joints between the various parts, thus endangering further leakages in the system. By the use of the present invention I provide a construction wherein those parts of the apparatus which comprise the circulating system may be removed as a single unit, or at least may be split up into two units, which may be tested as a whole for leaks which when once established may be readilyand quickly repaired.

As an illustration of the present invention I show in the accompanying drawing a refrigerator cabinet having a bottom 10, side walls 11, and a front wall 12. The various parts of the refrigerating apparatus are positioned in the lower part of the cabinet and are separated from the food storage compartment by a horizontal wall (not shown). The rear of the chamber thus formed for the refrigerating apparatus is left open in order to provide for circulation of the air which may enter the chamber through louvres such as 13 formed in thev front wall 12 and pass out through the open rear face. Removahly secured to the bottom by the screws or bolt 14 and positioned in the rear side of the cabinet is what I prefer to call the main base 15 which I have shown as constructed of wood. Removably secured to the main base 15 by bolts such as 16 is what I herein term an auxiliary base which comprises a portion 17 which overlies a portion of the top surface of the main base 15, a downwardly extending portion 18, and a horizontally extending portion 19 which rests upon the floor 10 and extends forwardly from the the axis of the shaft 22 of AWhich lies parallel to the sides 11 of the cabinet and in a Ahorizontal plane. The front end of the shaft 22 is provided with a pulley 23 and afan 24. Secured to the portion 17 of the auxiliary base is a compressor 25 Whosesliaft 26 lies in parallel .relationship with respect to the shaft 22 of the motor21 and is provided With a pulley 27 which is aligned With the pulley 23 and is connected to the same by a conventional belt 28. The bolts 16 which secure the auxiliary base to the` main base pass through elongated slots 29 in the portion 17 which permit the auxiliary base to be adjusted to move the compressor tov or from the motor 21 for the purpose of adjusting the tension of the belt 28. Secured to the lower portion 19 of the auxiliary'base by straps 30 and extending from adjacent one side of the portion 19 to the other side thereof is a receiver 31. A condenser-32 ofthe. cone shaped coil type is connected Vto thc' receiver 31 by the connection 33 and is supported in axial alignment with the. fan 24. The other side o-f the condenser 32 YisV connected to the compressor by means of a connection 34 and T-valve 35. A conventional type of cooling element (not shoivn) posiH n to the receiver 31 by tube 36 and connection the cooling elementmay not be removed as a unit with the compressor and receiver afterv 37, and to the intake side of the compressor 25 by the tube 38 andthe connection 39.

It is preferable-in the use of the present invention that the connection between the cooling element and the compressor 25 and receiver 31 be of any of those conventional types wherein the cooling element may be removed'from the refrigerator cabinet Witl thecompressor and receiver Without break-Y ing the connections between the same. In such a case if a. leak occurs in the refrigerant circulating system the bolts16 may be removed. the belt 28 slipped oli of the pulleys, and all ofthe parts comprising the refrigerant circulating system may be removed as a Vunit from the cabinetV and immersed in-vva` ter Without endangering any part of the same by such immersion, inasmuch as the motor above described, it Will be necessaryrto break the connection of the same with these parts before the' assembly `may be'removed from the cabinet, the broken passages in such a case being plugged and air pressure being applied tothe circulating passages ofthe assembly before immersion for the purpose of determining the location of leaks in the same.

In applying the refrigerating apparatus to the refrigerator cabinet, in the first instance, the base 15 and the auxiliary base may be secured .together as a unity and secured Within the refrigerator cabinet Ias aunitand maybe removed as such from the cabinet Whenit is desired to remove the motor 21.

Y Although haveshovvn on the accompany? ing dra-Wing a single illustration of the present invention, itv Will be apparent that the same is capable of various modifications and changes that are readily apparent to a person skilled in theart, and formal changes may be made in the specific einbodimen'tof the inventionV` described Without departing fromthe spirit or substance of `the broad: in-` vention, the scope of which `is commensurate' with the appended claims. v i

vWhat I claim is:

1. In combination with a refrigerator cabi inet, a main base, a4 motor mounted-thereon,i an auxiliary base removably secured to. said main base, and a compressor and condenser mounted on'saidauxiliary'base and being independently removable therefrom. l

.2. In combination with arefrigerator cabinet, a main"base,a motor -mountedthereon,`

an .auxiliary base removably 'secured to saidv main base, a compressor, condenser 'and receiver removably mounted on said auxiliary Jase, and a driving connectionbetween said liotor and compressor, said auxiliary base nd the parts mountedf'thereon beingv removable from said cabinet as a unit separate fromv said'main base and the motor carried thereby.v

3. In combination With a refrigerator cabi net, a main base, a motor mounted thereon, an auxiliary base, a compressor removably mounted on said auxiliary base, anda driving connection between said motor andy com. pressor comprising a belt, said auxiliary base being removably secured to said main/base and being adjustable thereon whereby to adjust the tension of said driving connection,

said .auxiliary base beingremovable from said cabinet independently of said main base, and said main base and said auxiliary base being removable from said cabinet as'a unit.

4. In combination with a'refrigeratorcabinet, a base therein, a motor mounted onisaid base providedv "with" a pulley, an auxiliary base, .a compressorremovably secured to said auxiliary base inv-parallel relationshipv with respect to said motor, a pulley on said coin` pressor Vin alignment withithe pulley 'on said motor, and a belt connecting said pulleys, said i auxiliary base being adjustably and removably secured to said mainbase whereby to-allow' movement of saidc'ompressor relative tosai'dv motor to adjust 'the tensionof said 'belt' and whereby to allow removal of said'auxil'iary baseV and compressor Yfrom saidcabinet inde` pendently of said main base, said' auxiliary base being guided by an edge of said main base in its adjusting movement.

5. In combination with a horizontal wall of a refrigerating cabinet, a main base re movably secured to said wall, a motor on said main base, an auxiliary base secured to said main base and resting on said wall, .a compresser` secured to said auxiliary base, and a driving connection between said motor and compressor, said auxiliary base being adinstable relative to said main base in a direction perpendicular to the axis of said motor, and being removable from said cabinet independently of said main base and said motor.

6. In combination with a refrigerator cabinet having a machine compartment therein, said compartment being provided with a floor, a wooden main base resting on said floor and removably secured thereto, a sheet metal auxiliary base having a portion thereof resting on said main base and another portion resting on said floor, said auxiliary base being removably secured to said main base, a motor mounted on said main base independently of said auxiliary base, a compressor carried by said auxiliary base on the rst mentioned portion thereof, a condenser carried by said auxiliary base on the second mentioned portion thereof, operative connections between said compressor and condenser, and a driving` connection between said motor and compressor.

7. in combination with a refrigerator cabinet having a machine compartment therein, said compartment being provided with a floor, a wooden main base resting on said floor and removably secured thereto, a sheet metal auxiliary base having horizontally offset portions connected by a substantially ver-l tical wall, the upper of said portions resting on and being adjustably secured to said main base, said vertical wall bearing against said main base and adapted to align said auxiliary baserelative to said main base,a motor secured to said main base, a compressor mounted on the upper of said portions of said auxiliary base, a driving connection between said motor and compressor, a condenser and receiver mounted on the lower of said portions of said auxiliary base, and operative connections between said compressor, condenser and receiver.

8. In a refrigerator cabinet, in combination, a machine compartment, horizontally disposed supporting means in said compartment, a main base supported on said means, a motor on said main base, an auxiliary base removably secured to said main base, a compressor removably secured to said auxiliary base, and a driving connection between said motor and compressor, said auxiliary base being adjustable relative to said main base in a direction perpendicular to the axis of said motor, and being removable from said cabinet independently of said main base and said motor.

9. ln a refrigerator cabinet, in combination, a machine compartment, horizontally disposed supporting means in said c0mpart-l ment, a main base removably supported `on said means, a motor on said main base, an auxiliary base removably secured to said main base, a compressor, condenser and receiver removably secured to said auxiliary base, and a driving connection between said motor and compressor, said auxiliary base being adjustable relative to said main base in a direction perpendicular to the axis of said motor, and being removable from said cabinet as a unit with said compressor, condenser and receiver independently of said main base and said motor.

l0. In combination with a refrigerator cabinet having a machine compartment therein, said compartment being provided with horizontally disposed supporting means therein, a wooden base resting on said supporting means and removably secured thereto, a sheet metal auxiliary base having a portion thereof resting on said main base and removably secured thereto, a motor mounted on said main base independently of said auxiliary base, a compressor removably secured to said auxiliary base over said main base, a condenser and receiver removably secured to said auxiliary base independently of said compressor, operative connections between said compressor, condenser and receiver, and a driving connection between said motor and compressor.

ll. In combination with a refrigerator cabinet having a machine compartment therein, said compartment being provided with horizontally disposed supporting means therein, a wooden base resting on said supporting means and removably secured thereto, a sheet metal auxiliary base having a portion thereof resting on said main base and removably and slidably secured thereto, a motor mounted on said main base independently of said auxiliary base, a compres sor removably secured to said auxiliary base over said main base, a condenser and receiver removably secured to said auxiliary base independently of said compressor, operative connections between said compressor, condenser and receiver, a driving connection between said motor and compressor, and means for locking said auxiliary base in any one of its slidable positions whereby to maintain said driving connection taut.

GLENN MUFFLY. 

